REGISTRATIONS

Dr. Peterson’s research focuses on understanding factors that influence health and life expectancy in persons with disabilities. Research in his lab occurs within a multidisciplinary and translational space that promotes greater understanding of issues in public health, clinical rehabilitation, human performance, and physiology. His specific research interests have been devoted to physical activity epidemiology and behavioral interventions for the treatment/prevention of obesity and related cardiometabolic diseases, frailty, functional motor declines, and early mortality. This includes research efforts directed at understanding and identifying precision strategies to prevent metabolic dysregulation and secondary musculoskeletal pathology among children and adults with neuromuscular impairments as well as a variety of frailty syndromes, and research to better understand health disparities among individuals with physical disabilities from the context of access to preventive care and community wellness.

Jennifer Ryan is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Physiotherapy and Director of the CP-Life Research Centre (www.cp-lifecentre.ie) Jennifer conducts research about cerebral palsy and disability more broadly under the themes of 1) health services research, 2) population health and 3) physical activity and exercise. Jennifer is currently Principal Investigator of projects to develop a programme to support young people with physical disability transition to adult health services, and to understand mental health and wellbeing among young people with cerebral palsy. She currently holds an Evidence Synthesis Ireland Fellowship.

She is the lead author of a Cochrane review on exercise for cerebral palsy. She was a member of the Physical Activity and Disability Expert Group (PADEG) for 'Physical activity for general health benefits in disabled adults: Summary of a rapid evidence review for the UK Chief Medical Officers' update of the physical activity guidelines'. She contributed to the American College of Sports Medicine's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription, 11th Edition. She served as Chair of the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapist's Research Network Steering Committee. She is a Trustee of 'Up - the Adult Cerebral Palsy Movement'.

Ashley Harris Whaley is the Director of Adult Programs at the Cerebral Palsy Foundation. She is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and is a board-certified Speech-Language Pathologist, who also has spastic diplegia cerebral palsy.

Ashley is a children’s book author, freelance writer, established public speaker, and online educator. She is the founder of Disability Reframed, a collaborative online learning community that works to dismantle antiquated attitudes towards disability and rebuild them by changing perspectives through education and conversation.

Rachel Byrne is the Executive Director at the Cerebral Palsy Foundation. She has been working in the field of pediatric rehabilitation and cerebral palsy research for the past 14 years. Rachel has a background in physical therapy, with a particular interest in neuroplasticity and motor learning. Her early career as a clinician delivering physical therapy services in schools, hospitals and private practice is underpinned by her research interests focused on knowledge translation and the impact on a person’s ability to participate in the community across the lifespan.

At the Foundation, she has continued her research interest in evidence-based practice, knowledge translation, early detection and interventions across the lifespan and population studies for cerebral palsy. Rachel was instrumental in developing the Just Say Hi inclusion curriculum which is now being taught nationally. In the last 12 years she has given multiple presentations at international conferences and managed large multisite research projects.